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Sharing The Ultimate Stupendous Taipei, Taiwan Travel Video
Often
times, it’s quite easy to forget who you really are when you get so stressed
out in life. You condemn rare moments, complain about almost everything, and
you curse all the glorious challenges that life awards you. But somehow, life
always finds a way to make you remember who you truly are and what you are
really capable of.
This
meek realization happened, all thanks to Taipei.
Our
recent trip was excruciatingly adventurous yet rewarding, to say the least;
without doubt, one of the very few trips worth reminiscing forever. Coming out
from a highly stressful office scene and entering a foreign land with
absolutely next-to-zero percent English speaking people, we had so many firsts
and oooh so many failures to memorize. And, add this to the iconic fact that we
were like a lost pre-school playgroup of Chinese-Korean-Japanese-Indio
scampering the streets of Taipei (translation: behavior chaos). The trip
highlighted many things that we didn’t even imagine could happen to us. But
ultimately, stress or no stress, we were able to achieve something monumental
for our selves: Taipei helped us all discover, appreciate, and understand a
hint of our true characters, unexploited skills, and real values in life.
Taipei helped us find our once forgotten selves. (either that realization,
or just a childish sense that the trip was tiring and was a failure.)
Yes,
We’re a dream team in disguise. Right?
A.]
++
Has a hidden laugh that is ohhh so contagious and that could only be unleashed
by his ultimate fan
++
Next in line map navigator, was really reliable at checking roads, streets ---
street smart
++
Daily mantra in life is to detox like there’s no tomorrow
B.]
++
Was often complimented by locals for being pretty, and for being fluent in
mandarin
++
Stakeholder of unforgettable indirect denunciation, unsaid condemnation, and
funny below-the-belt hirits
++
First in-line mandarin translator when ordering food, asking directions, and
haggling prices in night markets
C.]
++
Greatest poop of all time, culture shock
++
Constant complainer of all things immature
++
In love with bacon and street fat food
D.]
++
I am happy
++
Biggest realization in life is to improve Walking skills --- or buy new rubber
shoes
++
Likes group pictures, hates solo shots
E.]
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Has the most contagious laugh of all time (competitive sa kababawan)
++
Partner in crime in booze hunting, chicken nuggets craving, ChangchunRoooda
replays –djugdjugdjugdjug
++
Super Sleeper, Ultra Snorerrrr, Chicks@TW headhunter represent
F.]
++
Eldest brother of the troop, planner of the trip, took care of five kids and a
few spoiled brats
++
First in-line English only talks to locals, mistaken as a Korean, complimented
as a good boy
++
must have: SALONPAS
[SOME
FIRSTS, FACTS, FAILURES ]
++
Pinas Immigration demands power, so if you can wield power, then you have
nothing to worry about – know your connections very well (especially if you’re
still in Immigration and your plane’s boarding time is less than 15 minutes)
++
You can detox and clean yourself in less than 5 minutes, if you have the
uuuuurge, yaah
++
Philippine Dried Mangoes are also exported in Taiwan
++
Slept at McDonald’s, together with TW party animals
++
Rode the local train at 5AM
++
Took a 6 KM Mountain Trek with zero hours of sleep
++
Ate ginger soup for breakfast (aaack)
++
Did ridiculous jump shots even when there were LOOOTS of tourists around
++
Leg numbing experience after riding a taxi with 5 adults at the backseat
++
Took pictures with really beautiful TW chicks
++
Finally tasted the best Xiao Long Pao in Asia
++
Drank amazing coffees in plastic bottles
++
Braced through a Chinese-infested Night Market – It was crazy!
++
Tried stinky tofu, and yes it really stinks
++
Saw a penguin, a koala, an African elephant, a nearly extinct red panda, and a
bison at the largest zoo in Asia
++
Peacocks can use its majestic wings to fly
++
Took amazing pictures in a city metro art gallery
++
Plan but be flexible
++
Constantly ate lunch at 5PM
++
Watched several local artists perform their hearts out in malls, streets,
markets
++
Gotten used to ultra snoring sleeping buddies
++
Nonchalantly took a commute bus outside Taipei city, armed with only a Taipei
city map
++
Played around in a Geopark, the one with huge jaw dropping rock formations
++
Pissed off a local couple in a mall because of childish behavior
++
No screams in a little around 17 minute Ferris wheel ride, overlooking Taipei
in all its glory
++
Cold stone is a little cheaper in TW compared to PH
++
When you secretly fart in front of your friends, be sure they really won’t know
that it’s you
++
MOs Burger is like their local Jollibee, they offer shrimp burgers and rice
burgers too
++
McDonald’s TW offers peppers as a condiment
++
kid-like pranks still work
++
The National Palace Museum can share a thing or two about Cabbage stones
++
Laughing in front of KFC egg tarts can be quite refreshing
++
Always always always bring extra bag when traveling
++
An absolute must-try: VIGOR KOBO’s pineapple cake
++
LESSON TO REMEMBER: bring poo extinguisher
++
Tracking expenses is tiresome
++
Doubleganger (n.) An apparition or double of a living person; a doppelganger.
Example: we saw
Giselle
twice! Lol
++
It’s really fun to eat on urinals and bathroom gadgets
++
Topic of the Century: Poo.
++
Empathy is the key. Makiramdam at Respeto.
++
When your planned boy’s night out fails, grab a beer and bring the party in
your hotel room! more fun
for
sure
++
We met and took pictures with the hottest TW hooter girl
++
Laughing like crazy kids never fails to bring good results, even when in
physical or emotional pain
++
When in doubt, ask ask ask
Tally
up all of these with 4 cameras worth of pictures, 6 kids worth of laughter, and
XXX worth of learnings, and you get one successful do-it-yourself trip abroad.
Now,
where to next?
[TAIWAN TRAVEL] Read the rest of
Explore Taiwan Travel Blog Series:
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